Cairns FC has today notified Football Queensland (FQ) of its relinquishment of the club’s National Premier Leagues (NPL) Queensland licence, effective immediately.

FQ CEO Richard Griffiths met with directors of Cairns FC earlier this week and accepted their decision to withdraw from the competition.

“We entered the NPL completion in 2018 with the aim of developing a long-term sustainable NPL model for the region,” Cairns FC Director Shaun Donaldson said.

“With the support of sponsors, coaching staff, players, volunteers, local clubs and supporters we have been able to achieve some great outcomes for 2018.

“Despite our best efforts, we have encountered many challenges along the way and were not able to develop a sustainable NPL licence model.  As a result, we have made the difficult decision to relinquish our licence.”

As outlined on Monday, FQ plans to appoint a new regional development team of 10 consisting of regional development officers, skill acquisition program officers and an advanced coaching director to focus on achieving consistency in youth development across Queensland.

“FQ has worked closely with Cairns FC over many months and as shown by Monday’s joint announcement with North Queensland United, the challenges of running a regional NPL club are not unique,” Griffiths said.

“The proposed new model shows long-term investment in regional Queensland through a team of 10 qualified staff and sustainable football programs and competitions.”

FQ will present the proposed regional youth development program to FNQ clubs and FNQ Football through consultation meetings.

The relinquishment of Cairns FC’s NPL licence will not impact promotion from the Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) to the NPL Queensland in 2019 and a decision on relegation from the NPL Queensland will be announced shortly.